


Doctor Strange: Magical Artifacts Hunter

by zenkitty555



Series: Doctor Strange and the Fall of Magic [1]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Doctor Strange (Comics), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adventure, Comic inspired, End of magic, Fluffy Ending, Librarians are cool, M/M, Magical Artifacts, Masturbation, Post-Doctor Strange (2016), Sorcerer Supreme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-20 01:07:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9468650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenkitty555/pseuds/zenkitty555
Summary: After the near-death of magic, Stephen and Karl try to come to terms with their reality and learn about how they fit together in the process.***Chapter added***





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story disregards the end credit scene from the movie. I’ve also taken some elements from both the recent comic (2015) and the movie-verse, then combined them in this story. (Characters are the movie verse, plot point + Zelma are taken from the comic)  
> I think it stands alone, so you don’t need to know anything about the comics, but I recommend checking the comics out. Enjoy. :B

Sometimes Karl looked at him as if he were intentionally making their lives more difficult. It was never his desire, and Stephen didn't actually understand what made his actions so vile to the other man. It wasn't as though he was trying to break rules or make problems; he just wanted to fix whatever was wrong. Yet, he was consistently chastised for just trying, even when they had a positive outcome.

“Did you cut into a person blindly when you were a surgeon?” Karl spat.

“Occasionally you have to take a leap of faith,” Stephen lied. 

“You of all people know nothing of faith.”

That was really their issue, reliving all of the old problems that they thought they buried with magic. Karl stubbornly wanted to go one way, and he thought he knew a better path. Thanks to the Empirikul, they had said they would set aside their differences for a while as they tried to save what was left of the magic of their world. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done.

He jumped down into the cavern, searching for the item Zelma said would be down there. It was dark, and smelled weirdly of some kind of metallic element. It made sense, as metal and rock tended to be the best conductors of magic. Karl jumped in after him, holding the light. If they were attacked, he volunteered to be the first line of defense, as he didn't quite trust Karl with his ax, and Karl didn't quite trust his powers of navigation back out of the cave.

“I am telling you, it’s not down here,” he argued.

“I’m positive it is. Zelma said it would be here,” Stephen said looking around.

“Oh, yes. Forgive me if I don’t put all my trust in an unpaid, so-called librarian, slip-of-a girl you tricked into helping you. She has no magic, an nearly all of the books in your library have been destroyed. What did you do, have her Google it?” Karl sneered, swinging at a bug that flew close to him. 

“I really don’t remember you being so pessimistic before. Weren’t you the one who said to forget everything I think I know?”

“That was before you essentially failed to stop the extermination of magic. Some Sorcerer Supreme you’ve turned out to be. Why anyone decided this would be a good idea is beyond me, yet here we are.”

Stephen knew that he was just angry that Stephen forbade him to kill the Grolg spiders in the first section of the cave. Sure they were gigantic, mucus covered spiders from a different dimension, but they were also just trying to survive in a world with a limited supply of magic. They were kin in an odd way. If they posed a threat then they would have eliminated them, but really, they didn’t have the energy.

Stephen kicked over a bundle of moss and twigs to reveal the item they were after. It was a round object, much like his eye, but it was more compact and faintly glowed a pink-purple hue. 

“This must be it.”

They stood over it, feeling the magic roll over them. It was warm and comforting; by far one of the strongest magical object they had found. They knew magic was coming back slowly, but it happened at an excruciating pace. In a way it felt like regrowing a limb, or at least what Stephen thought regrowing a limb would feel like. If his research was correct, and he was sure it was, this would hopefully speed that process up. 

“Don’t touch it,” Karl warned. 

“Why not?”

Karl took a stick and poked at the disc. Spikes grew out of it and clamped down on the stick. Karl took out a handkerchief and wrapped the stick and the disc in it. 

“It’s protected.”

“Well, I would have never predicted that,” Stephen murmured. 

He gave a weak smile in Karl’s direction.

“The fact that you are not dead is a miracle.” 

Stephen wrapped his cloak around the object, the stick, and the handkerchief for safe keeping. At least, he hoped that it would continue to be safe. 

“You have spent your whole time in books with incantations, and very little time studying information about these artifacts. Or were you expecting your librarian to tell you all about it?”

He sighed and they started back, making their way out of the cave, past the sleeping Grolg spiders near the entrance. It was going to be a long trip back to the sanctum, and Stephen was not looking forward to using the spell to disperse the magic in the object. It was difficult, as he had very little magic of his own at this point. As Karl frequently said, the bill comes due, and the stronger the magic, the more it took a toll on his body. With Wong scouring for objects in Asia, it was becoming increasingly harder to recover after these excursions. Zelma tried her best at comforting him, as uncomfortable as it made both of them. 

Their trip back was uneventful, with both of them sleeping most of the way on the Metro-North. Gone were the days they could simply conjure a portal and step into the Sanctum, London, Kamar-Taj, or anywhere else they needed to go. Now they just had to live with people making comments about how they were some kind of hipsters, or cosplayers, or some other new slang they were using these days. Taking the subway, something Stephen never had done before in his life, became routine. Before the end of magic, he had never experienced people touching his cloak while he was wearing it. Thankfully the cloak humored them most of the time, despite being man handled in such a way. He would have never had the same patience.

When they arrived at the the slightly dilapidated sanctum, it was empty. They put the object in the study and settled in the library. Karl sat across from him, mirroring the exhaustion Stephen felt. It had been a long day, and he needed to steady himself before the ritual. 

“In an hour, the time will be perfect for us to begin,” Karl said, looking at the sun. 

He nodded. As Sorcerer Supreme it fell upon him to make sure that he did everything in his power to protect and nurture what was left of magic. In theory, by dispersing magic kept in artifacts, it would provide nutrients to the magic that remained. Although some objects were gone forever, many could be remade as they were able to recreate more spells. With Zelma’s help, he had been rebuilding their catalogue again. If they did not try anything, magic would eventually rebuild itself, but they did not have that kind of time. He only hope the other powers that existed in different dimensions decided to stay in those dimensions for the time being. With only artifacts and weak incantations at his disposal, it was hard to fight even magical slugs. 

The time passed quickly, and they readied themselves for the ritual. It was the first time Karl had seen one since he showed up on the steps of the sanctum. The ritual itself was reminiscent of things he had seen in Nepal as he was traveling. Gone was any of the flair they were used to, and only the spiritual seemed to remain. There was something very basic, organic, and raw about it. 

They began by taking the object out of the cloak and handkerchief. Karl managed to wrestle the stick from its grasp, and the object turned back into the disc it was originally. Then he started the ritual. As he performed it, he focused his energy and was able to slowly coax the magic from the object, even as it became increasingly difficult physically. He saw the light go out of the object, and then blackness overtook him.

When he came to, he was in Karl’s arms with the other man looking at him. Behind him was Zelma, still dressed in her yoga clothes.

“Doctor! You’re awake. We thought you died!”

He tried to respond, but it only came out as a groan. His head felt like it was splitting in half, and he was pretty sure that blood blurred his vision in his left eye.

“Damn it Strange, you always bite off more than you can chew,” Karl said shaking his head.

“The Baron said that you destroyed another artifact. Sorcerer Wong warned you not to attempt any of it until he got back. I don’t know where he keeps that flask of navy blue stuff he gave you last time,” Zelma said.

He couldn't move or focus on anything, it was hard to process what they were saying. The only thing he felt was the pain in his head, and vaguely recognized his body being lifted up by Karl and Zelma.

He was in an out of consciousness for the rest of the night, but by morning he was feeling better. He was also surprised that Karl had kept watch over him for most of the night. He recalled the small bit of conversation they did have the day before.

“Baron?” He managed to grit out.

“If you ever cared to actually know me  _ Doctor,  _ I am a Baron. Your librarian seems to have some sense in her head and actually researched me when she started working for you. You should really pay her,” Karl replied.

He licked his dry, cracked lips. His head felt better, but it still hurt enough to make him feel nauseous. 

“It’s finished isn’t it?” Stephen asked.

Karl nodded.

“I can feel it, it’s different in here now.”

“Yes, despite your death wish, you have managed to create more magic. Granted it will take a lot more to get back to a sufficient level.”

“Doesn’t it make you feel empty?” Stephen inquired.

“It makes me feel dead,” Karl said looking towards the window. 

Stephen nodded. The last time he felt so lost and in pain was when he had sold his apartment to bankroll his last surgery, and his subsequent escape from New York. The only difference was that he knew how to solve his current problem, and that gave him some solace. 

“You have spent just a small percent of your life studying to become a sorcerer, but I have spent my whole life around magic. I can’t understand how they have chosen you, and given you the title of Sorcerer Supreme, when you are so clearly not ready in many ways. You have more courage than sense sometimes. It’s frustrating.”

Stephen looked at him.

“Do you really want the position?”

“Why are you offering?” He joked.

“No, of course not. I can’t offer it. You know that. Is that why you drifted away from me? You know I tried to contact you. You have a lot more knowledge than I do, and well, I need the balance sometimes,” Stephen responded.

“I didn’t know you cared for my teachings so much,” Karl laughed.

Stephen felt uncomfortable by the playful tone in Karl's voice. There was something slightly sardonic, and if he were being honest, attractive. He really had missed their conversations. Although they often butted heads, he really did appreciate the man’s perspective and knowledge. 

“I care for your friendship,” Stephen said.

Karl seemed surprised by his confession. 

Stephen closed his eyes as it became increasingly difficult to focus. The room seemed to spin at times, and he knew that he would not recover for a few days. Every time it got a little harder, and the more powerful the object, the sicker he was. Luckily, Karl could manage things at the sanctum, so he didn’t feel too bad about sleeping.

On the second day after they had destroyed the artifact, Stephen was able to move around and do some things, albeit at a much slower pace than normal.Karl was already looking for the next artifact, with Zelma helping him. After their talk the day before, they had stopped bickering as much, and he was grateful for the other sorcerer’s company. 

“Go back to bed,” Karl scolded.

“I need to help,” he replied.

“I have a competent assistant here. We don’t need you.” 

He sat in the chair looking through one of the books that was left in the library. It was in a poor state, but he hoped that there would be something about a basic tracking incantation that he could use. He barely noticed when Zelma left for her yoga class. 

Karl took the book from his hands. 

“Rest. You need to rest for the next one,” Karl scolded.

If it were anyone else he may have argued, but he kept his mouth shut. He refused to go back to bed. Instead, he sat there watching Karl reading and scanning the texts that still remained. He looked almost as tired as Stephen felt. Stephen watched how his hands moved slowly over the pages, almost as if they were caressing them. It made him slightly envious of how steady he was, not only physically, but mentally. He always was a diligent man, and it seemed to be able to organize better than Stephen ever could. Stephen had great powers of recall, but most of the time he only scanned texts for pertinent information. Karl seemed to really digest everything. 

Stephen got up and moved over to where the other man was seated, and he looked over his shoulder. 

“Are you trying to irritate me?”

“No, just curious.”

“Curiosity killed the cat,” Karl retorted, standing up.

He looked at Stephen, his eyes cold and concentrated on him. It was a little intimidating. As Sorcerer Supreme, he always tried to show confidence in his role, but he wasn’t able to do it front of Karl. Especially not after they had born witness to his fumbled climb to the position.

The man’s presence really had sparked something in Stephen that had been dormant for a long time. He felt invigorated by their debates and Karl’s criticism. At times it felt as though they had never had a falling out. He felt more alive. Listening to the other man talk passionately, made him feel more passionate.

He really didn't know what possessed him to press his mouth against Karl’s. It may had been a culmination of those feelings, or the way the sunlight had been hitting the man. It could have been the fact that they were nearly nose-to-nose, or that his brain was not processing possible outcomes at the moment. He was equally surprised when Karl returned his kiss. There was something sharp and technical about his approach, while Stephen was hurried and greedy. Stephen groaned as he pressed against Karl. It ended too quickly for his liking. 

“Go to bed Stephen. You need to save your energy.”

It wasn't a suggestion this time, but sounded rather like a command, and Stephen felt a little rejected. Exiting the room, he reluctantly went to his own room, and foolishly  hoped that Karl would follow. As he got into bed and started to drift to sleep, he tried to keep out the negative thoughts nagging at him. He could only take comfort in the fact that Karl did kiss him back, so it must not have been entirely one sided.

The next morning, Stephen woke up disappointed that he was alone. He had not realized how much he had missed physical companionship until the night before, and his mind and body yearned for some company. He thought about kissing Karl in the library. The smells and images were still crisp in his mind, and he thought about the ‘what ifs’. If Karl had been more willing, how far could they have gone? Would he have removed Stephen’s clothing piece by piece, or just have exposed enough flesh to achieve their goal? He thought about Karl's hands moving across his midsection, much like his own was doing. His cock strained against his boxer briefs, and he slipped his hand underneath the band. It would have been a lot nicer if it wasn't his own hand, or better yet if it were a mouth. It could be lips wrapped around him, with dark eyes occasionally meeting his own grey ones. 

He moaned softly at the images his mind was creating. It still felt like he hadn't quite fully woken up, the warmth of the morning rolling over him. His hips lifted up to slip off his underwear, and he picked up his pace, thinking about more scenarios. All of them were ‘what ifs’ in the library. Karl could take him on the desk, or against one of the book cases. It could be dangerous to have sex in the library. If they got caught by Zelma, how scandalized would she and Karl be? The thoughts turned him on more than he expected. Stephen cried out as he came, considering the different things he wanted to do with Karl, and the things he wanted done to him. 

It was satisfying for a few moments after, but then it felt empty, cold, and uncomfortable. Like many things in his love life, it was a fleeting moment of pure self indulgence. He pushed it from his mind as he readied for the day. He ignored his reflection in the mirror, knowing that he would only be focused on the superficial. Instead, he tried to focus his energy on more positive aspects of his morning routine. It was a new day after all. He felt much better, as he came down the stairs and entered the library. 

“Did you even go to bed?” He asked.

Karl looked up at him.

“I see being master of a sanctum has made you lethargic. When you were at Kamar-Taj, we were up before the sun and then to bed way after it had set. I also recall how you would often not sleep at all, coming to class looking like zombie.” 

Stephen leaned against the desk, slightly put out by the criticism. 

“I was just saving my energy.”

“Never mind,” he sighed, “I have found the next artifact we should look for. Your assistant told me it’s not to far from here.”

Karl pointed to the side table in the corner of the library near the chair. The book splayed out on the desk showed the location was somewhere near Trenton, New Jersey. It looked to be a smaller artifact with very little magic too it. Stephen wrinkled his nose at the thought of wasting the time and energy to go there to retrieve it.

“Why this one? It’s just a small thing of no consequence,” He scoffed.

The other man looked at him as if he three heads. 

“Not all things of importance come in big packages. This is not about it’s power. It’s about it’s age. Although it seems small and weak, it is an object that can open other paths, and become a key in restoring our reality as we know it. It’s much like a drop of water nourishing a plant. You must create a source of water before you can focus your attention on farming.” 

Stephen didn’t really understand, as he thought he was already doing that exact thing. Wasn’t the destruction of the artifacts watering the plant of magic? 

“The key is the age, items from the beginning of of magic can lay the bedrocks of restoring magic, not the power of an item,” Karl continued. 

Stephen looked at the book, it was one of the oldest ones in the whole house, and it was one of the very few that had survived the Empirikul’s attack. It was a book that Zelma had hidden and protected. 

He sighed. She really should be paid. 

“The real question is how the hell did an item from the beginnings of human history find it’s way to Trenton?” Stephen asked.

\-----

The tiny object, no bigger than a rock, burned in his pocket. He hoped that no one else could feel it on the packed subway car. Between exploding cell phones and strange packages, the last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself and cause panic in a city already on edge. Although he wanted to clasp onto it in his pocket, he tried not to touch it, as he didn’t need people calling the cops on him for thinking he was a weird pervert. Taking public transportation was a very difficult experience. 

The train jerked to a start, and he tried to hold onto the pole near the door, but it was hard. Karl needed to steady him when his hands gave out. The surface was too cold, slick, and irritated his injuries. He looked at Karl, who seem to be concentrating on keeping his motion sickness at bay, keeping his eyes closed. It was a very surreal experience in comparison to the last few years of his life.

“So you guys are like in a play or something? Or just LARPing?” A young man asked them, snapping Stephen out of his thoughts. 

Karl stared at the kid, effectively shutting down the conversation. Stephen made note to use that anytime he had to take the subway. 

“Almost there. Next stop, West 4th,” Stephen said.

To be honest he wouldn’t have minded the journey so much if there were less people. They had spent way too much time in New Jersey trying to bargain with the person who owned the item, a little old man who really wanted way too much money for something that looked like a plain rock with a couple of carving on it. Stephen couldn’t believe how much he originally asked for, as it wasn’t art, and the man obviously didn’t understand the significance. Bargaining with Dormammu was an easier experience in comparison. 

They stepped off the train. Karl looked like he was going to hurl.

“Never again Strange,” He grumbled. 

Stephen tried to hide his smile. It was amusing watching Karl trying to adjust to the city.

When they got back to the Sanctum, they were greeted by Zelma.

“Not another one!” She said exasperated.

“You don’t have to stay,” Stephen replied.

“Just don’t die,” She protested.

“Why? He doesn’t pay you,” Karl said.

“It looks good on my resume. Research Assistant to Doctor Stephen Strange, or Information Resources Specialist to Doctor Stephen Strange,” she said shrugging. 

“I thought you were here because you cared,” Stephen responded.

Karl checked his watch. It was nearly time again, and Stephen took out the item from his pocket, looking at it. It was so small, and it did seem weak magically, yet it struck fear into him. There was something about the object that was different from all the other ones. Karl must have felt it as well. His breathing changed while looking at it.

“Ms.Stanton, I think you should go to the kitchen, and prepare some tea and coffee,” Karl said.

They exchanged a look as Zelma scurried off. They both knew that this was not going to be like before. They didn’t exchange words as they prepared his office together. It would be the safest place for both of them, as it was the furthest room away from the kitchen. They closed the door before they started the ritual, and Karl sealed it with a low-level magical spell, just in case. 

Stephen almost didn’t feel it when it started, and he definitely did not remember when it ended. He didn't feel anything, which was very different from all the other objects he had destroyed. It was surprising how smooth it seemed, until there was nothing.

When he woke up everything felt different. It felt less like a hangover and more like when he had crashed his car. The pain was excruciating, and he knew that it was only going to get worse before it got better. He barely cracked open his eyes to see Zelma crying at his legs, and Wong standing next to her. Karl had his hand on Zelma’s back. She stopped crying for a moment, and she spoke, but Stephen couldn’t hear her. He closed his eyes.

Maybe hours had passed, or days. He wasn’t sure, but it was night when he woke next. He felt someone holding his hand, but when he opened his eyes Zelma was gone, and he didn’t see Wong. It was Karl. He was sitting in a chair and his upper torso was hunched over. He was holding his hand. 

Stephen’s whole being was still in pain, but he could endure it. He knew the pain would pass eventually. He just hoped it would come sooner rather than later, as he slipped from awareness once again.

Eventually he was able to keep his wits about him. They told him that he had been in and out of consciousness over the last four days. Wong had sent Zelma away after he arrived on the second day. Apparently she hadn’t left after she found both him and Karl passed out. Thankfully, she had enough sense about her to call Wong on a number that he had left for her, and he had talked her through the steps to make sure they were not dead. 

“What you did was stupid,” Wong chided.

“Was it?” He croaked out.

“Don’t go too hard on him,” Karl said.

“Why? Because you nearly let him die? We were doing fine until you showed up here Mordo,” Wong gritted out.

“Strange was going to do it whether I was here or not. You should be thanking me for helping him.”

Wong thrusted a glass at him, forcing him to drink. It was the nasty stuff Wong had given him before. Karl and Wong exchanged looks. There was an air of animosity that he had never seen before. Wong left the room as soon as Stephen had finished drinking the goop, and Karl took his seat. 

“Did it work?” Stephen asked.

“Can’t you feel it?” Karl asked.

He shook his head. All he could feel was pain and fatigue.

“Yes. It worked. It feels glorious Stephen. It feels like life.”

Karl’s voice was filled with admiration and pride. It had been a long time since Stephen had heard it in the man’s voice, a soft and warm tone that lacked the sharpness it normally had. Then Karl did something surprising. He locked the door, climbed into the bed, and kissed him gently on the top of his head. If Stephen had more energy he would have made more of an effort, but he could barely move. 

“What if Wong comes back?” Stephen asked.

“Does it matter? Just rest.”

It felt good to be held, and he closed his eyes. He started to feel what Karl had talked about. Although the magic wasn't stronger, it felt more stable. It did feel like life.

“Why?”

“Why what?” Karl asked.

“After we kissed, you never mentioned or acknowledged it, but you're here in my bed.”

“We had more important matters to attend to. Then you died. Stephen, you died last Saturday for about four or five minutes. I had to…” He paused for a moment,  “After Zelma found us and I came around, I knew that it was a mistake to hide my feelings. I care for you, but I can’t let that distract me from our goal.” 

Stephen blinked, “I died?” 

Karl nodded.

“I hate you sometimes for all your foolhardiness. Your sense of responsibility seems to short-circuit any thoughts of self-preservation that are in your head. It is exceedingly frustrating, but admirable. I can see now why you were bestowed with the title of Sorcerer Supreme. You are more than worthy of such a title.”

If he had any strength left, he would have kissed him, but he just smiled. It was hard work to drag praise from Karl’s lips. Karl bent over and kissed him lightly, running his fingers through Stephen's hair. 

There was a knock on the door, and that was the last time him and Karl were alone for the next few days. Between Wong and Zelma’s overly zealous concerns, it was hard for Stephen to get a second alone. As his body was still healing, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it tested his patience, something he always had struggled with. 

“I have to back to Hong Kong, but hopefully the next time we meet we will be using portals,” Wong said, clasping him on the shoulder.

“Hopefully,” Stephen responded. 

“Give my regards to Zelma,” he said showing himself out.

Stephen sunk into his chair, his study empty for the first time in about two weeks. Although Karl was still around, Stephen had no idea where he was, or what he was doing. They had quietly made plans to continue their mission, albeit at a slower and safer pace than before. It wasn’t hard to convince Karl, but Wong was another matter. At times he could hear them arguing from his room, and although he wasn’t quite sure the details, he knew it was about his safety. 

Karl poked his head around the corner.

“He’s gone?” Karl asked.

Stephen nodded.

“Are you avoiding him?”

“We both understand our positions, and there is no need to interact on a superficial level. Although we mostly agree on many things, when we do not it is unpleasant.” 

Stephen frowned, “I thought that you two were closer.”

Karl laughed, “I’m not an easy man to get along with.”

He nodded his head in agreement. They had often had their own arguments and conversations filled with friction.

“Where do we go on from here?” Stephen asked.

“You need to properly rest this time. I have already summoned Doctor Voodoo to help us. It was my mistake to believe that we could do this on our own.”

Stephen knew that. 

“No. Where do  _ we _ go from here? You and I.”

“I’m glad you are alive, but we must remain focused. I told you this before.”

His heart sank a little, but he wasn’t surprised that Karl would keep him at arm's length. He picked up the text that laid next to him on the side table and tried to look like he was taking in what it said, instead of what he was actually doing, licking his wounded pride. It was hard to understand how someone could at one minute nearly profess their love, and the next completely ignore their desires. Stephen wished he could switch it on and off so easily. 

After faking his interest in the book for a while, he excused himself to his room. He still wasn’t feeling one hundred percent and decided to climb into his bed to contemplate the future and reflect on the past. It was a tiring pastime, filled with many sorts of regrets and worries. 

He shed his clothes, and curled up near the edge of the bed, starting to drift off to sleep. He barely heard the sound of the door opening, but he did notice when he felt a body curl around him. 

“I thought we had to remained focused,” Stephen teased.

“We must remain focused, but I can’t allow you to become distracted with pent up energies from your wildly active imagination. We both know that you lack in the ability to steady your mind.”

His voice sounded playful. His arm came around Stephen’s midsection as he buried his face into Stephen’s shoulder. Stephen turned over to look at him, the moonlight highlighting his features. Karl pressed his lips against Stephen’s with a shy hesitation. Stephen’s heart raced as he deepened the kiss, but it didn’t last for as long as it should have. They were chaste little kisses, much like the first one in the library, Karl seemed hesitant to touch him, as if he were going to break.

“I’m not made of porcelain,” Stephen said.

“I… It’s not that. I just... I’m not as experienced as you.”

There was a frustrated edge to Karl’s voice. Stephen felt his face flush, and was glad for the darkness. The thought had never crossed his mind before, as he was a very attractive man, and it seemed odd to Stephen. 

“Oh, that’s okay.”

Karl pulled away.

“Maybe this was a mistake,”

He tried to move away, but Stephen grabbed his arm.

“No. I don’t care. I just didn’t know.”

“I came to Kamar-Taj when I was eighteen, and well, there were not many chances to meet others. Like I said before, I know I’m a difficult man.”

Stephen kissed him properly. It was a turn on that this man before him, seemingly so confident, so knowledgable, and so commanding, had a side of innocence to him. In a way he felt sorry that he didn’t know that eighteen year old. He felt like he missed out on an opportunity. 

When they pulled apart, Stephen looked at Karl, his eyes barely cracked open. 

“If you don’t want to do something, just tell me,” Stephen said huskily. 

It was hard to speak. The lust welled up in his throat, and seemed to create a ball. He swallowed, as he pressed his hands to the fabric of Karl’s undershirt. 

“You will know if I don’t want to do anything.”

Stephen striped the shirt off of Karl, tossing it to the side, and leaned in for another kiss, taking his time to fully explore the other man’s mouth, while his hands tried to steady themselves on Karl’s chest. The small hairs felt fantastic beneath his fingers, and he rubbed his thumbs into the flesh, feeling the muscle. Karl was much more muscular than many of his previous dalliances, and his own thin frame must have seemed frail in comparison. He pressed against the man as closely as he could, making sure that Karl felt how turned on he was. When Karl grasped his cock, he groaned, and his own hands flew lower to rid Karl of his pants.

What started as a slow exploration, turned into a flurry of activity, with Stephen eventually pinning Karl down and straddling him in all his naked glory. It was reminiscent of his first time, with him losing all sense of pacing. Only the urgency of having this man cry out his name, remained in his thoughts. He slid his palm over Karl’s erection, causing the other man buck his hips against his hand. Stephen shifted his weight, making sure the other man could not repeat his action, and picked up his pace, fully grasping the cock in his hand. 

“Stephen. Please.”

He froze. 

“It’s too soon. I’m going to,” Karl trailed off.

There was so much emotion in his voice. He was pretty sure that that one sentence had lust, desire, sorrow, shame rolled up together in a tone of need. Stephen closed his eyes, letting the moment roll over him.

“Doesn’t matter, we will have many other opportunities. Come for me,” Stephen purred.

He kissed Karl as he added a bit of finesse to the way he stroked the other man. Karl didn’t disappoint Stephen at all. He was so beautiful. It didn’t take Stephen much time to come after he took himself in hand, marking the man’s flesh with his seed. Stephen moved to lick the mess off of Karl’s stomach, and groaned as he tasted their body fluids mixed together.

“Good?” Stephen asked, flopping next to the other man.

Karl kissed him. It was high praise indeed. 

“You know, I may need to steady my mind pretty frequently.”

“I feel like I’ve made a deal with the devil,” Karl groaned.

“No, just with the Sorcerer Supreme.”

Shifting to their sides, Karl wrapped his arm around Stephen as they fell asleep. Stephen knew whatever happened next, they were in it together.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephen and Karl continue on their quest, and uncover truths about themselves on the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't planing on a second chapter, but the plot bunny bit me. Again, a mix from the movies and comics.

The air was tense by the time they touched down at the Bucharest airport. Although he had arranged for Rand to lend him his jet, it seemed that Karl was still quite uncomfortable with almost all types of travel. The flight was fairly long and filled with many moments of uncomfortable silence. Every time he tried to pry more information from his partner, the man would shut him down with one or two word answers, or simply snap at him with one of the usual rebuttals.  His favorites always started with, ‘if you had any sense...’ or ‘of all the foolhardy...’.The first few times it happened, he felt a little hurt, but after Stephen started to understand the rhythm to his moods, it was quite amusing. Karl tended to be short tempered when he was overly stressed.

He was not an easy man, but Stephen never liked easy. 

“We still need to take a train, but it will not take long,” Karl said.

It was surprising how well he could navigate the area, and even more shocking when he started to interact with the locals using Romanian. Stephen had no idea that he knew Romanian in addition to English and rudimentary Nepali. 

“You seem pretty fluent,” Stephen said as they took their seats in the train.

Karl looked confused by his statement.

“This is my homeland.” 

“Oh, umm, really? I thought you were from England.”

Karl shook his head. Stephen tried to keep the look of surprise off his face. 

“My tutors were Englishmen, but I am not.”

It was making more sense now. Karl had told him he grew up around magic, and he was so positive there were many old magical artifacts in Transylvania. He probably already knew where artifacts in this region were. 

They never really talked about their past lives. It was a bit weird, but when they entered Kamar-Taj, those things never seemed to matter. However, since they were sleeping together, it felt odd not to know these basic facts. He never told Karl about himself either. Those times were so different from their current realities.

“When we get there we will rest and start tomorrow,” Karl said, breaking the silence. 

Stephen nodded. It was beautiful to look outside of the window, and much better than his own childhood of corn fields and cows. 

“We really don’t know anything about each other,” Stephen said.

“I googled you before. I know enough basics, but you are correct, we barely know each other.” 

“You  _ googled _ me?”

“I had to convince the Ancient One to take you on, and prove you had potential. To be honest, she didn't want to give you the time of day the first time you two met. I managed to convince her you would do good in the face of adversity.”

It was a huge bombshell to him, as he never knew why he had waited outside for so long that day. He had chalked it up to a test of sorts. If Karl had never taken an interest in him from the time they met and continually looked after him, he didn’t know where he would be. 

When they arrived at their destination, they found a small inn near the train station. The building was thin, low to the ground, and absolutely ancient. It looked like half a townhouse, but with a different facade from the ones in New York. Karl did the talking when they checked in. The owner gave them two rooms keys, and Stephen looked at Karl in confusion.

“In New York we stand out because of our clothes. Here we look like tourists arriving from Asia, but we will stand out more if we have only one room. I don't want to draw attention to ourselves.” 

“Tourist often share rooms,” Stephen pointed out.

“If we were just simple tourists, I wouldn't care, but you must remember this area is teeming with the occult and their various practitioners. It is dangerous to draw attention to ourselves.”

Stephen grudgingly accepted Karl’s reasoning, and they went to their respective rooms to rest. It had been a long day and a half filled with travel, and if Stephen was being honest with himself, he wasn't up for company. There was something weird with Karl. He seemed more on edge and distant than normal. The strain of hunting for the items must have been taking a toll on him. 

When they met in the morning, Karl was almost completely silent as he led the way. It took some time to get there, as they had to walk up a windy road to get to a large building at the top of it. It reminded Stephen of The Cloisters Museum in New York, the only building in New York that probably came close to matching the age of it. It was a small castle in comparison to some of the others they had seen on their way there, but it seemed very intimidating up close. From the moment they rounded the corner up the path, his skin had goose bumps, and he wanted to turn back. 

“What the hell is this place?” Stephen asked.

“It's Castle Mordo.”

Stephen was not expecting that answer.

“Like you? Is it your castle? You have a castle?” He asked in rapid succession.

Karl sighed.

“It is mine in title, nothing more. I have not been here in over ten years. Whatever happens here Stephen, you are not to speak of it to anyone.”

The air crackled with an energy he had not felt in a long time. It was definitely magic, but it was not the same magic he knew of in New York or in Kamar-Taj. He stopped and grabbed Karl's arm. 

“Did you bring me here so we can collect artifacts of dark magic?” Stephen asked. 

“Yes, there are some artifacts here for dark magic, but most of them are only as dark as their intended use.”

Stephen paused for a moment. He couldn't believe that this was the first time he was hearing about it. 

“This is crazy,” Stephen said. 

When they got to one of the side doors, Karl produced a key for the lock. He showed him into the Castle, leading him through the halls.

“Don’t touch anything. I’m not sure if everything is as I remember. The last time I was here my visit was brief, and I haven't been back to clean it. My grandfather was not known for having a welcoming nature, so there may be some unsavory elements left behind,” Karl warned.

Stephen made sure not to touch anything. The walls were covered in actual tapestries, and the furniture, although mostly covered, seemed to be older than anything in the Sanctum. The halls were cold, dusty, and smelled musty. If portraits could move, he thought they would all be staring at him as if to say, ‘Why have you disturbed my rest?’ 

It was the creepiest place he had ever been to, including their recent trip to bat infested caves of South America. 

“Let's get what we need and go. This place is giving me the creeps,” Stephen said.

“It’s almost inviting now. Too bad you never saw it thirty years ago,” Karl replied with a small smirk forming at the corners of his mouth.

“And you grew up here?”

Karl remained silent as they turned the corner and started to go up the stairs. When they reached a room at the end of the hall, he put his hand on the door, hesitating before twisting the knob. Stephen swore that he heard Karl say something under his breath, but he couldn't make out what it was. When they entered, he looked around to see book cases of burnt books and items scattered about. He was taken aback by the sight.

“Did the Empirikul come here?”

“No, I did this. There are certain things that no being should ever know; magics that have the ability to infect people's hearts and minds.”

Stephen looked at the carcasses of the books, many of them written in a language he did not recognize. 

Karl started to pick up items from around the room. Some of them looked rather ordinary, while others seemed designed especially for their purposes. Some he recognized from books they had been looking at, while most were new to him. His eyes widened when he saw the main item that they had come for. It was written about in textbooks as a tool for revitalizing magic itself. It was supposed to be used for those weakened by diseases that had targeted magic abilities. Stephen and Karl had debated for hours about whether it would be worth the price they would pay to disperse the magic from it. They still had not come to a decision about using it, but decided that they would need to bring it with them anyways.

It didn't take long before they were finished, and to be honest Stephen wanted to run out of there. When they got back into the town, he was surprised that Karl suggested they head straight to Bucharest on the next available fast train. Although they were in a hurry, he had thought they would rest before beginning their journey back. With Doctor Voodoo at the New York Sanctum, they could take a little more time than normal. 

“So that was your childhood home?” Stephen ventured.

Karl nodded and sighed, “There are some stories that are best left untold. I do not feel like sharing today.”

As the boarded the train, Karl seemed to loosen up. He had been so visibly tense for the last few days, it was a relief to see his brow smooth out and his shoulders relax. Stephen slyly put his hand on Karl's leg and squeezed. 

“If you want to talk, I will listen,” Stephen said.

“I want to rest.”

Karl closed his eyes as the train started to move, and Stephen turned his head to gaze upon the sun setting between the hills. It was a rather beautiful place, and it was a shame that it seemed to harbor dark, painful secrets for his partner. In a different universe, he may have been able to settle down in such a place, but he wouldn't let himself get carried away with that daydream, as it could never be reality. 

It was dark when they arrived in Bucharest, but they were able to find a room at a hotel easily. It wasn’t too cheap, but the amenities would satisfy Stephen. After another long day of traveling, the only thing Stephen wanted to do was to draw a bath and spend some time soaking in it. It had been a long time since he was able to enjoy a good proper soak. At the Sanctum it felt unnatural to indulge in such luxuries. 

As he cleared his mind in the tub, he heard the door click and looked up to see Karl standing there, removing his clothes. He moved to drain some water, and Karl stepped in, eventually wrapping his legs around Stephen as they pressed together.  It was a tight fit, but they managed it. Stephen tilted his head back as Karl kissed his neck lightly, eventually moving towards his shoulders. He let out a soft moan as Karl wrapped his arms around his midsection. His own arms were propped up on the side of the tub, providing better access. 

“I wish you would have told me before we got there,” Stephen sighed.

“I didn’t know how without digging up too many memories.”

Stephen closed his eyes. Whatever Karl was struggling with must have been difficult. 

“My life started when I came to Kamar-Taj. Everything before that was not under my own will.”

Stephen could understand that.

“My second life started when I met you,” Stephen confessed.

Karl scoffed, “Have you been watching too many movies?”

“First, you rescued my only possession I had left from my days as a surgeon. Then, you convinced the Ancient One to take me on as a student. It really did begin with you. Like you, I found life in Kamar-Taj, and I was reborn in a way. All of the things that had driven me changed after that.” 

There was a moment of silence before Karl picked up the cloth in the tub and began to wash his back. Stephen had already washed, but he would take any affection from Karl he could get. He felt the other man's hands trace his muscles and his bones, taking his time to work down his spine. Stephen mentally ticked off the names of each part and each vertebrae he touch. It was calming.

Stephen twisted himself just enough so they could share a kiss, but the position was uncomfortable and they soon broke apart. Karl went back to kissing his neck as he reached around to scrub Stephen’s front, his hands eventually settling on Stephen’s abdomen. 

“I recognized myself in you,” Karl said.

“How so?” 

“You seemed obsessed to find this place no one else even acknowledged. When I saw you stupidly trying to brawl with three men who obviously outmatched you, I thought you were either crazy or man who had nothing to lose. At the time, I figured it was the later.” 

“Changed your mind now?” Stephen joked.

Karl rested his head on Stephen’s shoulder.

“Let me wash you,” Stephen said.

Karl unfurled his legs, and Stephen rearranged himself so they were facing each other. There wasn't enough space for him to wrap his legs around Karl, so he just straddled the other man’s legs. He picked up the cloth and began to run his hands over Karl's chest. He took his time staring at the way the cloth moved. He tried to ignore the image of his own mangled hands running over Karl's gleaming skin, as they slipped down further and further, eventually reaching to Karl's feet. He got out of the bath and came to the back side of it to take care of Karl’s back. Karl moved forward to give him space, and he stepped back into the now lukewarm water. Resting his head against Karl's, Stephen continued to wash him. It was unrushed, intimate, and relaxing. The contrast between their own skin, dark and pale, smooth and scarred, was exquisite. He wanted this moment to go on, but by the time he had finished, the water had already grown cold. Stepping out of the tub, he grabbed some towels to dry off. He took his time to dry Karl off, and Karl returned the favor. 

They were both too tired to do anything when they got in bed. As they lay down, side by side, Karl pressed against him. His fingers absentmindedly played with Stephen’s hair, and only the sounds of their breathing filled the air. 

“I love you.” 

The words were spoken so softly, Stephen almost didn’t hear them. He froze for a second, deciding if he were actually meant to hear them. 

“I love you too,” Stephen said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Time seemed to stop for a moment after he said the words. They were true, but he had honestly never thought they would get to this point. He definitely did not think this man, who guarded his secrets so closely, would be the first to say those three words. In the beginning, he figured Karl would get annoyed with him eventually and leave, yet here they were in a Bucharest hotel confessing their feelings in the darkness. 

\----

Zelma sat at the table with her tea, as Karl tried to explain about the different energies and magics. It was sometimes odd to see how patient he was with her, but reflecting back on his own training, he realized Karl was rather patient with him as well when he was a beginner. It was only when he started to assert his own, different opinions that it got complicated. 

“So that's why you went to Transylvania? To gather other types of magic? I mean you can't have light without dark, right?” Zelma asked.

“The problem is how will you deal with them? Only dark magic will disperse magic from dark artifacts,” Jericho asked. 

“We will not be extracting magic from any of those. Dark magic will always find a way to flourish,” Karl responded.

Jericho shook his head.

“We all don't like the idea, but it has merit. How can magic thrive in an unbalanced ecosystem?” Stephen asked.

It was their continuing debate between the three of them. 

“And who will do this? I will not. How about you Doctor Voodoo? Or you Stephen? If you proceed to even attempt such a thing, you should resign your position immediately, and I will no longer help you in any way,” Karl spat.

Zelma looked surprised by this outburst. However, the rest of them were used to it. It was just another rehashing of the same discussion. Jericho sighed and Stephen put the kettle back on the stove. 

“Can’t you just Harry Potter it?” Zelma asked.

They stared at her in confusion. Stephen knew of the book series, but had never personally read it. He was positive Karl had no idea what she was talking about. 

Zelma sighed, “Well in the books they destroy possessed objects with another object. Up until this point Doc, you’ve just been using spells.” 

Stephen looked at her. Was she seriously suggesting that he take a page from a children's book? Karl actually snorted with laughter.

“It doesn’t quite work like that. When a magic artifact is broken, the magic dies. Much like people,” Jericho said.

“So how is magic created?” Zelma asked.

“Much like people,” Stephen joked. 

She turned red from his joke.

“He means something like cell division,” Jericho clarified. 

She nodded, bringing the tea cup up to hide her face. 

“Don’t you have your yoga class?” Stephen asked.

Zelma check her watch, looked surprised at the time and excused herself. 

“Harry Potter,” Stephen said, shaking his head.

“You shouldn't tease her too badly, she may actually leave for good. Then where would you be without your research assistant,” Karl said smirking. 

“She is useful at times, despite her lack of any proper training,” Jericho admitted. 

They sat for a minute in the kitchen in silence, avoiding the topic they needed talk about. Stephen was so tired of talking in circles with both of the other men. Although Jericho often took his side in things, he couldn’t ignore Karl's concerns.

“So what do you want to do?” Jericho asked.

“I don't know. I have to meditate on it.”

“You know very well what you need to do. Anything else is a front to everything you have learned to this point,” Karl said.

“Enough. We are not getting anywhere with this,” Stephen grumbled. 

“Stephen is right. Let this rest for now,” Jericho said.

He left the room leaving the two of them. Karl was staring intensely him. He turned his back to the other man, and turned off the burner, buying time before the storm came. He knew it was coming. 

“You of all people should know what a slippery slope it is. Unless you want to just totally disregard the betrayal of our teacher.”

Stephen sighed, as it always came back to this when discussing this topic. Karl's feelings of betrayal ran deep, and although he understood them, he also knew that she was human. He never knew her exact reasons, but he knew that there were reasons, and that there were more grays in the world than black and whites. 

“She was complicated, but it did not make her necessarily bad,” he said quietly.

“Sometimes, I forget how much you still have to learn. Using dark magic changes the soul, it is like a drug that consumes everything eventually. Even if it did not make her bad, it would have. I have seen this with my own eyes many times. Even if you believe you can control it, it will control you,” Karl said, shaking his head. 

“You’re not always right, you know.”

“In this I am. Trust me Stephen.” 

They sat in silence for a little bit, before Karl headed to the library, and Stephen went to his study. He needed a quiet place to think about the choices before them. Meditation often helped him, but these days it only seemed to create more internal confusion. Nothing had prepared them or anyone else for the position they were in, and although they were giving it their best, Stephen was worried it was not enough. 

As he sat in the dimly lit room, he focused on the magic surrounding him. Every day it seemed a little stronger, but it still wasn't enough. They were all tired from their mission, and his heart was hurting. It was the same for everyone who had lost their connection to magic. 

“Stephen, we should talk.”

It was Jericho. 

“Come in.”

“You know I don't want to do this either. If there is another way, then I think we should do it. However, I don't think that there is any other way, and the only one who is able to cast it, is not willing to do it.” 

Stephen nodded. That was what he thought as well. They believed that they needed it, but Karl believed they didn't need dark magic at all. In reality though, both him and Jericho did not trust themselves to use dark magic.

“I feel the same way.”

“There was just one other thing I came to say. It's not comfortable, but I need to say it,” he paused. “Do not let your affections influence your decision making. You alone hold this position.”

He then left quietly. Stephen gave up trying to meditate. It was a futile endeavor, as he felt cross after his short conversation with Jericho. Of course he was making his own decisions, and he didn’t put Karl's word above any other person’s input. 

He was tired and decided to retire to his room early, to escape his mind and his situation. It was hard enough chasing their goal without all the arguments. He realized what great pressures must have been on the shoulders of all the Sorcerer Supremes that had came before. For many sleepless nights, he had lain awake contemplating his next move. Often he felt those times he had been unconscious were the only real times that he had rested peacefully. 

He sat on the floor at the foot of his bed and tilted his head back, staring at the moulding on the ceiling. It was actually much better than his normal meditation routine, as his eyes traced the design. Everything weighed on him, and he could only keep breathing. 

“Are you sleeping?”

It was Karl’s voice. He raised his head to see him in the doorway. Karl closed the door behind him when he entered, and sat next to Stephen. Stephen looked at him.

“Do you think my judgment is comprised?” He asked. 

“Did Doctor Voodoo try to convince you of that?” Karl asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“It’s not him. I often worry about that these days.”

There was some silence between them, as Karl thought about it. He never minced words when Stephen asked him a serious question. It was one of the reasons Stephen desired his advice, but it was also why he doubted his own choices. Was Jericho right? Was his affection getting in the way of his decision making?

“Only you know the true answer. I cannot answer that question, but I can tell you that I know from observation that it is not a job for someone who does not question him or herself. If you do not seek out others and consult with all your resources, you are more foolish than I thought. With that being said, you are tasked with something that is so great and unforeseen that weaker men would have given up long ago. Thankfully you have good company to help you through this. I will do everything in my power to help you, but if you make choices I can't abide by, I will not bend myself to you. I expect nothing different from you though. I don't expect you to bend yourself to me.”

Stephen nodded, but his heart still felt heavy.

Karl stood up and extended his hand, pulling Stephen up from the ground. He pulled him close, wrapped his arms around him and buried his face into Stephen’s shoulder. 

“Don’t give up,” Karl mumbled. 

Stephen pulled away and kissed Karl, who returned his kisses, eagerly and tenderly. It felt very similar to their first time together in his room. There was hint of caution to Karl's touches, as he slowly undress Stephen. Stephen tried to match his pace, but seemed to lack the self control towards the end.

Karl swallowed hard before saying, “I want to give you all of me. I want to feel you inside of me, please... Stephen.”

He let out a groan as Karl pressed him backwards onto the bed. All of his worries seemed to be put on pause for a moment, as he could only focus on the man before him. By the end of the night he was sure that there would not be one area of him left untouched, as Karl began planting kisses on his body, starting with his neck and working down his torso.

Stephen let out a small laugh, “After the first time we kissed, I thought about us having sex together. Everything I could dream up pales in comparison to reality, and I have a very, very active imagination.”

Karl made a small noise of amusement, as he continued to kiss Stephen's flesh. Eventually he stopped, but not before kissing the head of his cock. Stephen strained against the sheets, and Karl responded by holding his hips down. He went to take Stephen in his mouth, but Stephen gently pushed him away.

“I’m already this hard for you, I will not last if you do that,” he groaned. 

“So impatient,” Karl half-heartedly scolded.

Karl moved to get the lubricant from the side table, and handed it to Stephen as they traded places. After arranging the other man, Stephen spread the liquid over his fingers. He made sure they were warm enough before pressing one at Karl's hole, slowly pushing in.

“Am I the first to do this?” 

Stephen already knew the answer, but asked anyways. His voice sounded husky, dripping with his desire. 

“Yes.”

Stephen slowly inserted another finger. He knew it would take some time, as Karl was tight, and seemed to be a little tense from the new experience. When Karl finally started to relax, Stephen started to stretch him properly. Eventually his fingers found his prostate, lightly grazing it at first. The response he received was extremely satisfying. Karl's gasps and moans were enough for him already, but what really got him was the stunning image before him. The man’s hard cock was displayed proudly, and his passionate eyes met Stephen's. Stephen withdrew his fingers, adjusted their positions, before slowly pushing into Karl, focusing on the responses Karl's body was showing him.

“God, you're exquisite and beautiful and everything good in my life,” Stephen babbled. 

He sounded like a fool, but he didn't care at this point. This man was giving all of himself, not an easy feat for Karl, and Stephen felt so lucky. 

When he was all the way in, he kissed Karl as he waited for the other man to adjust to the sensations. After a moment, he began to move at a slow pace, and wrapped his hand around Karl's cock. Karl moaned and met his pace beautifully. 

“Stephen…”

He paused.

“Don’t stop, I just wanted to say your name.”

Stephen’s body twisted to accommodate his quicker pace, and his desire to be as close as possible. Time passed, but every second felt too short. 

“Ahhh. I love you,” Stephen cried out. 

With that, Karl came, and Stephen followed soon after. They laid there for a moment as Stephen collected his wits about him. He felt emotional raw and physically exhausted, but also happy. Karl shifted and got up.

“You’re such a mess,” he teased, heading into the bathroom.

“No thanks to you,” Stephen called back.

He heard Karl start the shower, and eventually Stephen got up to join him.

\----

Night always seemed so different from the day, and it was still perplexing to Stephen how Karl managed to keep his work separate from his private life. They almost seemed to be on a schedule, with their heated debates about the same topics in the day, and then sex in the evenings or sometimes early the next morning. Only a few times had they really argued so hard that they actually retired to different rooms, and normally they didn't get to sleep those nights. Those nights always lasted only one night. 

Sometimes Jericho would give him a look when he put off making a decision, but he tried to ignore the man. 

“Everything we have done up until this point has not worked fast enough,” Jericho said.

“There is one object we have not tried,” Karl objected.

“And we won't. There's not enough magic yet to even attempt it,” Stephen interjected.

“Yes there is. What would you have us do? Continue to collect artifacts, or are you being tempted to use dark magic?” Karl gritted out.

“No, I didn't say that, and you know it. I think we should wait.”

“You have your strangely set ideas of dark and light Mordo, but other practitioners know sometimes they are one in the same,” Jericho protested.

“Enough!” Stephen bellowed. 

He stood up from his chair too quickly and it tipped over. The thud it made was loud, and they looked at him with surprise. 

“We are not doing either. We will wait, and consult with Wong on where he is at. He is due in next Tuesday when Rand returns from Hong Kong.”

Karl shook his head at Stephen, and Jericho stormed out. They were all at each other's throats. It was tense, as everything they had been trying in the last few weeks seemed to fail spectacularly. Maybe there was nothing they could do, and they were just beating their heads against the wall at this point.

Karl left without a word, and Stephen went back to the book he had been reading earlier in the morning. It was one of the few he had taken from Transylvania, but it didn't contain anything worthwhile, only more dead ends. It was a taxing process combing through all of the information, especially when it all was in Latin. He was not a linguist; his brain was not wired that way.

He sighed deeply, closing his eyes. He drifted off to sleep for a little, before waking and deciding he felt worse than before. He needed someone to pet his ego and tell him it was going to be okay, so he left his study to go find Karl. 

When he opened the door to the library, he found Karl slumped over. He rushed over to make sure he was still alive, and then he saw it. It was the item they had brought back from Transylvania, the one for reviving magic. It was the item they had been arguing about earlier in the day.

“By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth,” he murmured.

Karl was thankfully alive. Like Stephen had done so many times before, it seemed that Karl had taken matters into his own hands. Unlike Stephen, he had done it in secret and alone. Stephen called out for Jericho to come and help him. They eventually managed to get Karl into bed, and Stephen went downstairs to the kitchens to fetch one of those flasks of goop that Wong kept around. Then he waited, monitoring him the best he could. It was hard to wait, especially when there was no indication of when he would wake. Jericho occasionally came to check on both of them. 

Slowly, he started to feel it. The air seemed to change, like that day when autumn had arrived. It smelled different, and the air seem more crisp. He had never been aware enough to feel the change before, and it surprised him. He tried a few spells to various degrees of success and failure. It was thrilling. 

When Karl finally woke the next day, Stephen didn't know whether to coddle him or throttle him. It was a hard waiting game, and he tried to be patient realizing that people must have felt the same about him.

“How do you keep doing this,” Karl gritted out. 

“Because it's necessary. Now, you doing it alone, that was stupid. What is it you always say? If you had any sense, you would at least have someone else in the room. What if it failed?” Stephen chided, anger creeping into his voice.

Karl's eyes were closed, probably due to the splitting pain that was in his head. Stephen fed him the drink that would help him recover more quickly.

“Did it work?” Karl asked.

It was like deja-vu, only with the main characters reversed.

Stephen stood up and showed Karl how much it had changed by opening a portal into the library, stepping through it before returning. 

“Don’t feel too proud of yourself. It doesn’t work for very far distances, but I did manage to open one all the way up to the Bronx. I think I scared Zelma a little.”

Karl nodded and smiled before going back to sleep. 

The next few days were easier, as Karl seemed to recover quicker than Stephen normally did. Stephen believed it was due to the fact that magic seemed to be getting stronger by the day. 

“Why did you do it?” Stephen asked when Karl was well enough.

He looked at Stephen, folding his hands in his lap. He always looked defiant when justifying his actions. 

“I knew if I didn't do it, Drumm would wear you down. You didn't believe that we could disperse the magic of that object, but I thought we could. I took a calculated risk, and it paid off.”

“You could have died,” Stephen protested.

“Says the man who killed himself for five minutes,” Karl reminded him.

Stephen sighed.

“Look, if you're going to go rogue again, at least get someone to help you, even if it's not me.”

There was a knock on the door. Zelma opened it bringing in tea and the book that Stephen had asked for. She set it down between them, and sat at the edge of Karl’s bed.

“Doctor Voodoo said he will be leaving soon now that he can open a portal,” She told them. 

It seems that magic was on it's way to repairing itself. 

“I told you we didn't need dark magic,” Karl smirked. 

Stephen gave him a look of irritation.

“I never said we did, only the possibility existed theoretically. If you are going to be insufferable I will leave,” Stephen sighed.

“You two are so cute,” Zelma interrupted. 

Karl looked slightly mortified, and Stephen stared at her.

“Sorry. I didn’t know it was a secret. It's a really poorly kept secret by the way,” She grumbled, taking the tray away.

Stephen shrugged as she left the room.

“Well the cat's out of the bag I suppose.”

“The cat seems to have never been in the bag,” Karl retorted. 

“Are we really that obvious?”

“You are. I am more discrete.”

Karl looked absolutely pleased with himself when he said that. Stephen smiled at him as he took Karl's hand. 

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been bouncing back and forth between writing a few stories. I also have started to draw again after a long time of not drawing. /shameless plug/ You can find some fanart on my tumblr at: peanutfarmer85 (I am new to this tumblr world, so there are not many posts).


End file.
